The Arbiter
Three Shorts by Kati Skelton
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Comedy, Short Films, 15-May-2025
Two teams of men compete in a game of their own invention until a problem arises and an arbiter steps in to solve their dispute. Kati Skelton directs “The Arbiter,” a comedy made of dramatic prose, friars, and fishermen. In the banquet hall of a motel, two teams of men stand divided. They’ve been playing their game for 50 years, but the center piece of the game — a spinning wooden wheel crucial to the game’s fairness — has corrupted due to unknown forces. An arbiter named Pasquale notices the conundrum and offers his take on what must be done to restore justice. Pasquale pleas, the men apprehensively watch, and suspicion follows. With it’s wardrobed characters and their passionate tradition, Skelton’s film is an elaborate exploration of trust and authority, similarly committed to the absurd as her previous shorts, “POT’S N’ TOTS,” and “Business.” -JM. Director/Writer/Editor: Kati Skelton. DP: Justin McWilliams. Cast: Nate Smith, David Lowe, Will Dixon, David Brown, Mark Bracich, Michael Villar, Jordan Michael Blake, Wyatt Fair.
Up Next in Three Shorts by Kati Skelton
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POTS N' TOTS
The bond of a ceramics duo is threatened by a conniving pottery studio head. “Pots N’ Tots,” directed by Kati Skelton, is an absurd tale of love, artistic collaboration and the powers that be. Margot and Billy are inseparable lovers and partners and the ceramics they create point toward a “grand...
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Business
A wide-eyed man gets caught up in a surreal scheme presented as a business opportunity. Dynamic performances and inventive rhythm characterize this rapid fire short which never stops churning — it’s almost as if we’re watching in fast-forward. It all starts at a pulsating dance club where an olde...